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Peeking over the edge of the pillow, she said, “I’m sorry I took the call.”
“No, you’re not. We just got another vital piece of information that’ll make Detective Morse take that poem in the sympathy card more seriously.” He pulled on his jeans as he rose from the bed. “After hearing the phone ring, I doubt you would’ve been able to concentrate on the business at hand, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” She quirked her eyebrows up and down.
“Let’s call it a night. I need to let Bodhi outside.”
At the sound of his name, Bodhi trotted into the room, a fuzzy black sock hanging from his jaws.
Finn pointed at his pet. “I think Bodhi got your sock. It’ll never be the same again.”
“He can keep it as a souvenir of the night his dad almost got laid.”
“And what does his dad get as a memento?”
“You can have my other sock.”
He tried to get her to spend the night at his place, as difficult as that would’ve been for him to have her sleeping in the next room. They both knew the mood had turned and although he would’ve given it the old college try, he knew Tiffany’s murder consumed Jessica’s thoughts, and he didn’twant to compete. Tiffany’s ghost already hovered over their relationship. He didn’t want her haunting the first time he made love to Jessica.
But she insisted on spending the night at her own place, so Finn followed her outside and checked her car before allowing her to leave with promises she’d text him as soon as she got home and locked the doors.
This killer seemed more interested in taunting and tormenting Jessica than killing her, but you couldn’t trust a psychopath. He was moving closer and closer to Jessica. He must have some sort of end game…and that end game just might be Jessica’s death.
About thirty minutes later, as he finished up the egg rolls, sharing one with Bodhi, Jessica texted him. She thanked him for dinner, for the files, for the info on Deke, and for listening, couching all those words in a bunch of emojis. But nowhere in the text did she thank him for rocking her world.
Did that mean she regretted it?
Bodhi jumped on the couch next to him with Jessica’s sock clenched between his teeth. Finn rubbed the dog’s head. “I know you’re happy with the spoils of the evening, but I wanted more…so much more.”
* * *
THE FOLLOWING DAY, Jessica met with Deputy Alvarado regarding the physical evidence for Missy’s homicide case. The evidence from Morgan’s had already been packaged and shipped to the lab for additional testing, including DNA and possible latent fingerprints.
She’d be packaging the physical evidence from Missy’s case and delivering it herself via the sheriff’s van. The biological evidence from Missy’s autopsy had already beensent to Seattle, including the red fibers, as it had been found beneath Missy’s fingernails. Had she tried to remove the red scarf tightening around her throat? Did the killer have this in his hands when he was leading her down the trail to Missy?
She spoke to Alvarado without lifting her head. “Did you see the red fibers before they were sent to Seattle for DNA testing? It could be yarn, couldn’t it?”
“Could be.” Alvarado smacked the table. “That Deke Macy is bald, shaved head. Might explain why there’s no hair left at the scene. Or maybe the killer wore a beanie, tucking his hair in, and this is a fiber from that.”
“Or it’s the murder weapon. He used it for Morgan, too.” She dropped another plastic bag into the pouch. “Have you heard anything more about Macy?”
“I know Detective Morse brought him in for questioning. He may have worked with both murdered women, or at least had contact with them.”
Jessica murmured, “And he worked with my sister, Tiffany Hunt, at the time of her murder ten years ago.”
Alvarado put down his clipboard where he’d been checking off the items as she put them in the pouch. “I heard about that, Jessica. I’m so sorry. I had a sister who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend—domestic violence case. I know it’s tough.”
Her gaze flew to his face. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s hard to fathom a guy like Macy getting away with one murder and holding off for ten years before committing his next.”
“That’s true, but maybe he committed crimes while he was on vacation or visiting someone.” She dropped the last item into the pouch as Alvarado marked it off on his form.“I’m just hoping he’s our guy and no other young women are in danger.”
“I hope so, too. Detective Morse will get to the truth.” He scrawled his signature on the form and held it out for her to sign.
They didn’t get to the truth of Tiffany’s murder.
Jessica added her signature and tucked the form into the pouch. She had already placed the rag doll and the sympathy card in separate bags to bring to the lab, but the sheriff’s department wouldn’t allow them to be labeled with the official evidence, as she’d already destroyed the chain of custody several times over.